Mail-bag catcher.



J. Ac FOLLMAN.

MAIL BAG GATGHER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1910.

963 1 3 1 Patented July 5, 19 10.

JOHN A. FOLLMAN', OF YORK, NORTH DAKOTA.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1910.

Application filed. January 7,1910. Serial No. 536,916.

North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in mail-bag catchers, and the object.

of the invention is to provide suitable operating mechanism for the purposes intended, and the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of .parts as will be hereinafter more in detail described,

and the asserted novelty specifically claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings; in which;

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the side of a car showing my device as applied to the same. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the device ready for action. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view partly in section, showing the device closed, and Fig. 4 is a similar view wholly in section showing the device open and also ready for action.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings: A designates a car of the ordinary type, or it may be of any approved construction.

B designates the framework of the device composed of two horizontal parallel pieces of wood 6, b or other suitable material, and a transverse end piece 5, this latter piece being mortised in one end of each of the pieces I), b, the opposite ends of said pieces being partly of curvilinear form and also having short extension pieces C, C. The lower ends of these extension pieces take in slots 0, 0 formed in the lower ends of two arms which are pivotally secured to the ends of the extension pieces C, G and form hinges for two shorter pieces which will be hereinafter more fully explained.

D, D designate short arms, the rear ends of which are pivotally secured to the front ends of the pieces I), b which form hinges or fulcrums for the articulations thereon of said arms.

E, E designate rods, the forward ends of which are operatively secured to eyebolts e, e permanently secured in the ends of the short arms D, D. The opposite or rear ends of said rods are provided with openings cl, 03

through which are projected the ends of bolts 6 e said ends being secured to the {prvgard ends of curvilinear slotted plates G, G designate coiled springs coiled around bolts 6 e and play thereon by which an opening and closing motion is given the rods and slotted plates F, F through the medium of a mail-sack Which will close the mechanism. The opening or setting of the mechanism maybe done by hand. These plates F, F are pivotally secured together at their forward ends, and in the opening and closing of the device the slots in the plates traverse stationary bolts 7", f passed through the casing or housing of the device from top to bottom of the same.

H, H designate another pair of bolts located slightly in the rear and to one side of the bolts f, 7 against which the outer edges of the plates F, F hear when they are in their open position. i

I, I, designate coiled springs having one end of each of their ends secured to the outer edges near the rear ends of the plates and their opposite ends to the inner faces of the horizontal pieces 5, b of the framework.

K designates an inverted l\-shaped guide for guiding the ends of the slotted plates against the rear end of the framework and each side of the inverted A-shaped guide as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

L designates a casing or housing for the mechanism of the device, said casing being formed in two sections Z, Z, one section of which Z is permanently secured to the rear of the framework, and the-other section Z is slidably secured to the framework, openings Z Z being formed in the front edge of the casing through which the rear ends of the rods E, E, are projected and their rear ends secured to the rear ends of the pivoted plates.

M, M are rollers secured to the inner faces of the framework and located within the casing which incloses a portion of the framework. These rollers serve as a bearing for the slidable section of the casing and which gives this section its movable action, the pieces I), b of the framework serving as guides for the ends of this slidable section, the ends of the slidable section of the casing having square openings left therein to slide over the pieces Z), 6 of the framework.

N designates bearings secured to the side of the door of the car in which a short post N is journaled, and to this post is secured one end of a right angular arm N the upper end being secured to the catcher, a latch 0 having one of its ends pivotally secured to the facing of the edge of the door, the opposite end securing the mail-bag catcher in position by means of ahook portion 0 thereon. Said latch holds the catcher in position to strike the bag which is afterward manually released permitting the arm impelled by the atmospheric resistance to turn into the doorway thus carrying the bag into the car.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The combination with a car and of the framework; of the mail-bag catcher composed of side pieces and an end piece, short arms pivotally secured to the forward ends of said side pieces, a casing in which the side pieces are partially housed, rods having one end of each secured to the forward portions of slotted plates, the opposite ends loosely secured in staples secured to the forward ends of the short arms, slotted plates pivotally secured together at their forward ends, bolts passed through openings in the rear ends of the rods, coiled springs coiled around said bolts and secured in the forward end of the pivoted plates, bolts passed through the permanent casing and through the curvilinear slots in the plates and bolts secured and located below and to one side of the former and against the outer edges of said plates, springs secured to the inner surface of the framework and rear end of the slotted plates, rollers secured to the inner surface of the slidable casing and inverted A-shaped guide.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. FOLLMAN. WVitnesses:

A. SOLBERG, l/V. THORESON. 

